


Let’s go up in flames

by larrycaring



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: 4x18 through 4x22, Angst, BEWARE SPOILERS BY THE WAY, Canon Compliant, Cemetery, Friendship, Insanity, Internal Conflict, M/M, OS, Oneshot, Sanity, Young Bruce Wayne, batman!bruce is rising, i guess?, i repeat: do NOT read this if you haven't watched season 4 of GOTHAM, several scenes from the episodes of season 4, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 08:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14870192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larrycaring/pseuds/larrycaring
Summary: “Behold the face of true sanity,” Jeremiah proclaimed, gesturing to his abnormal white face. Even his eyes were completely different, and Bruce did not recognize his friend. Was it too late?Jeremiah’s words grew alarming, worrying, and Bruce was getting desperate and angry. And then the world went black and he wished it was only a dream.He wished things didn’t happen that way.





	Let’s go up in flames

**Author's Note:**

> So I binge watched Gotham and obviously the ending of season 4 is driving me maaaad, wanting much more.
> 
> I am so pleased to discover Jeremiah. Cameron is doing an amazing job, and I can’t wait to see more of him.
> 
> Obviously Jeremiah and Bruce’s friendship, and relationship, is special, and after the latest episodes of season 4, I just wanted to write this quick fic. Basically it’s all about Bruce’s thoughts during Jeremiah’s transformation.
> 
> It is my first fic in the Gotham universe, sooooo be cool with me, mates.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Title lyrics from the song “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea”, by Missio.
> 
> And thank you so much [@TrisBrownewell](http://twitter.com/TrisBrownewell) for editing this fic!

Bruce looked over at Jeremiah and felt for him.

He felt for him when he saw the young man looking at his brother’s lifeless body in what Bruce thought was disbelief, but was most certainly sorrow.

He felt for him when he watched Jeremiah wipe a tear away. It had been done in a sort of quick gesture, but Bruce saw it nonetheless.

After all, in spite of all the awful things Jerome had done, despite the constant terror on Jeremiah's face when it came to Jerome…the man's grief was justified.

Jerome was Jeremiah’s twin brother after all.

And grief…well, that was a sentiment Bruce knew all too well.

"Mr. Valeska," Bruce spoke out of nowhere, without having an idea of what he actually wanted to say. Certainly not condolences because Bruce knew Jeremiah needed anything but those.

Jeremiah stopped in his tracks, turning to face Bruce with an impassive, pale face. Yet, it was an inviting face, a friendly face. Bruce found himself hoping that maybe, he'd get to know this brilliant man. And who knows, maybe become friends. 

“I meant what I said about your work being of importance to this city," Bruce confessed, taking a few steps closer to Jeremiah. Perhaps, a little too close. He didn't notice it himself.

Jeremiah didn't particularly seem to notice either, watching Bruce with something particularly akin to curiosity at Bruce's words.

“Let Wayne Enterprises fund your work with a grant," Bruce offered. In a way, he definitely felt like it was the right thing to do. He really was not doing it for charity or as a prize of consolation. He was doing it because he truly believed in Jeremiah’s fine mind. He believed that, with Jeremiah's plans, and Bruce funding him…

Yeah, Bruce thought they could do great things for Gotham.

A ghost of a tiny smile came across Jeremiah’s lips. It was fast and barely visible, but Bruce saw it.

“Thank you,” Jeremiah answered softly.

Bruce didn’t get to see Jeremiah until a few days later. But after that, they kept seeing each other.

Their plans for the city became some sort of secret project. It was something only Bruce and Jeremiah knew about, a little thing in the process of changing Gotham and making it better.

It was pretty easy to forget about the real world, especially when they’d get themselves locked up in Jeremiah's bunker and work without even noticing the hours flying by.

Suddenly, Bruce's days were filled with blue prints, ideas written on papers, engineer plannings and the eagerness of accomplishing something great.

And days filled with Jeremiah.

It felt right.

However, when it all came tumbling down, it hurt Bruce.

He didn't realize how attached he had gotten to Jeremiah until he had to watch his friend slowly lose control and go mad. And he could do nothing about it. He tried to help, he really did, but he couldn’t.

“Jeremiah! Do not let him turn you into him! Do not let Jerome win this battle!” Bruce yelled. He still thought there was still hope, somehow. He truly wanted to believe it.

And so when Jeremiah stopped chuckling, his face suddenly switched into the coldest expression Bruce had ever seen. And when Jeremiah pulled the trigger and blew up that man’s face…

Everything crumbled.

“Look, Bruce,” the man broke the sudden eerie silence. His voice sounded apathetic and frighteningly cold. Bruce’s ears were still ringing with the echo of a gun fire. He could only look at Jeremiah in despair, unable to form words. (He doubted he could even utter anything right now.) “Like everything Jerome set his mind to, his insanity gas failed,” Jeremiah announced, still in that undisturbed and indifferent tone of his. “Other than some mild cosmetic effects, he might as well literally have sprayed me with water.”

And no.

No.

Bruce refused to believe that.

It wasn’t the truth.

Evidently, Jerome’s gas had worked. Jerome had succeeded in taking Jeremiah’s mind away, and now Jeremiah was…

“Behold the face of true sanity,” Jeremiah proclaimed, gesturing to his abnormal white face. Even his eyes were completely different, and Bruce did not recognize his friend. Was it too late?

Jeremiah’s words grew alarming, worrying, and Bruce was getting desperate and angry. And then the world went black and he wished it was only a dream.

He wished things didn’t happen that way.

He lost Jeremiah, but Bruce meant what he said to his lost friend.

He’d stop him.

“He is not your responsibility,” Alfred would say to him later. “Gotham is not your responsibility.”

But Bruce would make it his.

And as he wandered on the streets, searching for answers, searching for _him_ , Bruce prepared himself for what he would have to eventually face.

**Author's Note:**

> **Thank you for reading, hope you liked it.**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **Kudos and comments would be very much appreciated!**
> 
>  
> 
> **Go read my other fics. Of course, it's not an order. Just an advice. Please. Pretty please? :D**
> 
>  
> 
> **[Click[here](http://archiveofourown.org/users/larrycaring/pseuds/larrycaring/works) to see and read all my other works!]**
> 
>  
> 
> **Twitter:**  
> [@larrycaring](https://twitter.com/larrycaring)  
>  **Tumblr:mystupidamours**


End file.
